Improvement in revenue-guards for cigar-boxes



W. WUHLTMANN.

Revenua Guards for Cigar-Boxes.

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UNITED STATES WILHELM WOHLTMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVENUE-GUARDS FOR ClGAR-BXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

i415, 159, dated March 3, 1874 application filed August 30, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM WOHLTMANN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and Improved Revenue- Guard forCigar-Boxes, of which the following is a specification:

I propose to have finely-engraved paper strips, to be issued by theRevenue Department with the stamps, and corresponding with them innumbers, one or more of which strips shall be extended across the boxfrom end to end, after it is iilled, but before the cover is closeddown, and'pasted on the outside of the ends, so that they will be brokenwhen the cigars are taken out by the retailer or consumer. I alsopropose to have the word empty, or any other equivalent word, printed onthe stamp, and to require the seller to add thereto the date when thebox becomes em pty, which,

l believe, will eftectually prevent manufacturers from committing fraudsin the matter of revenue by buying up empty boxes, and iillin g themagain without putting on a new stamp, which they can now do, because, asthere can be no rule to prevent them from opening the boxes and breakingthe stamps, boxes with broken stamps, filled again, may be representedto the inspectors as original boxes, and there is no evidence to thecontrary; whereas, if the paper strips which I propose to apply-whichneed notbe broken to show the cigars after opening the boxare broken, itwill be evidence to the inspectors that the box has been filled againwithout applying a new stamp, for with each new stamp issued there willbe the accompanying paper strips. The paper strips are to be iinelyengraved, so that they cannot well be counterfeited to enable themanufacturer to provide them with numbers to match the numbers of thebroken stamp. Moreover, the date which I propose it shall be obligatoryupon the dealers who empty the boxes to ma-rk on the stamps will show ifan attempt be made to pass a filled box with an old stamp.

'Figure 1 is a top view of a box with my improved revenue-guard appliedto it. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the cover raised. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section taken on the line w :v of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is anend elevation.

Similar letters of reference Vindicate corresponding parts.

A represents the said paper strips, which I propose to paste over thetop of the illed box, under the cover, said strips to be numbered bothinside of the box and outside, as at B C, to correspond with the numberD of the stamp E. F represents the record of the date when the box wasemptied,which I propose to have the seller required to enter legibly andpermanently on the stamp.

This rule being established, with a penalty for neglecting it, therewould be no difficulty in securing compliancewith it, because a dealerwould be reluctant to have empty boxes without it in his store, subjectto the call of the inspector, and both the wholesale and retail dealerwould be equally reluctant to have lled boxes with the paper stripsbroken, which would prove the second use of the boxes, so that theywould be a check on the manufacturer by refusing to buy his boxes withbroken strips.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent- In combination with a cigar-box stamp, E, havingprinted thereon a number and date, the strips A and A', correspondinglymarked, all applied and arranged substantially as described, for thepurpose set forth.

WILHELM VIOHLTMANN.

-Witnesses A. I. THAYEE,

T. B. MOSHER.

